Shopify

Shopify product managers recommend a few helpful tips and tricks to acing your interview with Shopify.

## Problem solving
Don't focus on the solution to the interview questions - focus on the process to getting there. It doesn't matter if you get to the wrong answer sometimes, as long as you demonstrate the process and your thoughtful approach to the problem. The biggest tip here is to pause before jumping into the answer.

## Solve out loud
As per the above point, if the interviewers can't hear your thoughts in your brain, they have no way of knowing how you got to a problem. Be sure to display your problem solving skills by solving out loud, or, as we recommend, always [use a whiteboard](/courses/pm/tips-whiteboard) in your interviews. 

## Clarify and ask questions
Don't start answering a PM interview question immediately. First, always ask a clarifying question or two. This builds rapport with the interviewer and ensures you're both on the same page. Asking questions is a skill for both interviewing as well as being an effective product manager.

## Iterate and evolve
It's ok if you mess up in your interview - in fact, it's encouraged! Brainstorming is a messy, complicated process, with lots of bumps along the way. Be confident and adapt as you go through the interview, don't get stuck just because you've reached a dead-end. 

Tips and Strategies

Shopify PM (Product Manager) Interview

Shopify believes in the five core competencies for product managers, and thus tests all PM candidates on the following five interview types. 

Product strategy is all about high-level thinking. Shopify product managers are dealing with a large amount of growth and uncertainty - how can you use analytics and product sensibilities to devise a strategy for the product moving forward? 

[Here is a list of product strategy questions recently asked at Shopify.](https://www.tryexponent.com/questions?company=shopify&role=pm&type=product-strategy)

To prepare for this question, it's critical to review Shopify's current strategy. You can start by watching [Shopify's recent keynote](https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/shopify-unite-2019-keynotes) and [Stratechery's article on Shopify.](https://stratechery.com/2019/shopify-and-the-power-of-platforms/)

How to Answer Product Strategy Questions

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Product Strategy

Analysis based questions at Shopify involve reasoning with data. Can you think about KPIs? Understand the tradeoffs of certain metrics? Measure the success of KPIs? Run A/B tests? 

[Here is a list of analytical questions recently asked at Shopify.](https://www.tryexponent.com/questions?company=shopify&role=pm&type=analytical)

The key to success in these interviews is starting at a high-level with the goals of the product, and then drilling deeper into actions and metrics. We recommend employing the GAME framework for key metrics questions, [as demonstrated in this PM lesson](/courses/pm/youtube-metrics).

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Analysis

Design Thinking questions start with an ambiguous problem, and ask you as a candidate to devise a solution by using skills like user empathy, product vision, and design sensibilities. 

[Here is a list of design thinking questions recently asked at Shopify.](https://www.tryexponent.com/questions?company=shopify&role=pm&type=product-design)

The best way to prepare for these questions is to practice them. While we have a full guide to product design questions in our course, one tip for these questions is to [always mention tradeoffs.](https://blog.tryexponent.com/the-key-to-a-successful-pm-interview-answer-tradeoffs/)

Be sure to use a whiteboard for this type of problem, and get plenty of practice - the ambiguity seems scary at first, but can end up making for a very fun interview! 

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Design Thinking

While coding is not expected as a product manager at Shopify, experience and comfort with technical skills and concepts is critical to your success in the job and in the interview. Here, Shopify will ask you to reason about technical constraints and how you'd think about engineering tradeoffs. 

[Here is a list of technical questions recently asked at Shopify.](https://www.tryexponent.com/questions?company=shopify&role=pm&type=technical)

To prepare for the technical interviews, review our [TPM interview course](/courses/tpm) and [software engineering interview course](/courses/software-engineering) at a high-level. Are there areas you're weaker in? Focus more prep to review technical concepts and prepare for the interview. 

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Technical

Lastly, working with a team is core to being a Shopify product manager. After all, they designed the entire interview process to be highly conversational and interactive - Shopify strongly values the ability to work cross-functionally and with others. 

[Here is a list of team questions recently asked at Shopify.](https://www.tryexponent.com/questions?company=shopify&role=pm&type=behavioral)

These interviews are behavioral in nature, so be sure to have stories to speak from by [building a story bank](/courses/tpm/behavioral-interviews-creating-story-bank). Specifically, focus on brainstorming stories with the following traits that Shopify emphasizes:
- Impact: Do you make big impact for others around you?
- Trust: Can you communicate authentically?
- Engagement: Do you invest in your work and life?
- Self-awareness: Do you know your strengths and weaknesses?
- Readiness: Are you qualified for the job you're applying for?

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Working with a Team

Amazon

Google

Tell me about how you brought a product to market. 

You’re the CEO of Shopify, what should we focus on next?

What data points would you use to define a product recommendation engine?

How would you improve new merchant sign-ups?

How would you prove the effectiveness of acquiring new merchants on Facebook vs. Instagram?

Shopify opened its first retail location in LA, what would be your strategy for future locations?

Shopify powers online and offline commerce for 1 Million+ merchants across the world. We recently determined that 60% of visitors across all Shopify-powered online stores view the store's return policy page. We think this is because the ease of returning an item is part of a customer’s purchasing decision (“should I buy this or not?”). Shopify wants to help merchants be more successful. What will you do, as a PM at Shopify?

What would you do if you and another PM had strong opposing opinions?

What are some concerns with ingesting data from a 3rd party source?

How will you know if a product is successful?

Shopify

Interview Guides

Product Manager

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Interview Questions

Tell me about how you brought a product to market.

You’re the CEO of Shopify, what should we focus on next?

What data points would you use to define a product recommendation engine?